Herag didn’t even enter the village; he started settling down at a flat spot near the village entrance.
He took a pot and stove from the carriage, sending Sid to find some firewood nearby, then skillfully lit a fire and started cooking.
In front of Sid, Herag snapped his fingers and a flame sprang to life, making Sid widen his eyes in awe and regard Herag with even more reverence.
Count Hu En had generously provided supplies, including cured meat, butter, cheese, and a variety of vegetables.
Herag made a stew with these ingredients; with spices, it was bound to taste decent no matter what.
"Here, serve yourself as much as you want to eat," Herag said, handing Sid a bowl from the carriage.
Sid was flattered and hastily replied, "Sir, I can just eat dry rations."
"If I tell you to eat, then you eat. Don’t make me repeat myself," Herag said impatiently.
Sid nodded, "Thank you, sir!"
Carefully, he used a fork to spear a piece of meat and some vegetables from the pot, then squatted by the carriage to eat.
Herag devoured the entire pot of meat and vegetables. His body was growing ever stronger, and his appetite was increasing.
The aroma of the meal wafted into the village, many villagers smelled it but didn’t dare come closer, fearing they might anger the prominent person by the carriage.
Herag had no intention of distributing food, as the supplies were for the rest of the journey, and a shortage would only cause problems later.
He had been in this World long enough to understand many issues stemmed from the era and society, and he didn’t have the power to change things.
Several hours later, as Herag was lying reading, the sound of Shenlan’s enhancement beeped up.
"Task completed, the formula for accelerating main Meditation speed potion has been calculated, ingredients are as follows: 100 ml of Pure Water, 30 ml of Mist Tree Man Juice, 10 grams of Dragon’s Tooth Grass Powder, 3 drops of Poisonous Violet Juice, 9 grams of Dragon’s Blood Grass Powder, 5 drops of Mandala Juice."
Herag looked at the formula, contemplating the characteristics of these materials’ interactions.
He couldn’t experiment at the moment and would have to wait until he had the chance to verify the effects later.
"Shenlan, infer a magic potion formula for increasing Spiritual Power."
"Task filed, expected time six hours and thirty minutes, estimated Magic Power consumption 21%."
After issuing the command, Herag continued to read, with an oil lamp burning inside the carriage, casting a dim light.
Only the sound of insects could be heard outside the carriage, with no human noise. The village lay deathly still, as if everyone knew an important person was at the entrance that night and dared not disturb him. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel•fire.net
The next morning at dawn, Herag ended his meditation early, then kicked Sid—who was sleeping beside the carriage—awake, informing him to proceed.
Herag didn’t want to linger in that place, feeling that just standing there put immense pressure on the villagers, making the atmosphere very oppressive.
There was a small stove fixed to the floor of the carriage; Herag lit it to brew a pot of coffee. The stove was cleverly designed, with a conduit leading outside the carriage to vent smoke.
Herag still opened the carriage window as a precaution.
After finishing these tasks, Herag waited for the coffee to brew while continuing to read the Spell Model Book of the Dark Energy Shield.
Soon after, the Shenlan inferred magic potion formula for increasing Spiritual Power was completed.
"Task completed, the formula for increasing Spiritual Power potion has been calculated; ingredients are as follows: 100 ml of Pure Water, 50 grams of Star Crystal, 5 grams of Black-edged Sunflower Powder, 4 drops of Hallucinogenic Herb Essential Oil..."
Herag frowned, "These materials are not simple; it seems Shenlan’s inferences are still very costly."
He thought for a moment and decided to put the formula aside, as the recipes provided by Shenlan might not be correct, and they required experimental verification.
However, these materials were too expensive, and the experimental costs were high; he didn’t have the money for experiments at the moment.
Six days later, the carriage arrived at Storm City’s territory.
Along the way, Herag encountered two attempts to intercept him, both by destitute victims of famine trying to rob him because they couldn’t find food.
The local Lords didn’t care about their lives, so they had no choice but to resort to robbery on the roads.
Herag didn’t make things difficult for them; he performed a simple magic, and the destitute victims fell to their knees in pleas.
More interestingly, the local Lords warmly welcomed Herag, clearly having gotten word that an important person was passing through.
Herag looked at the table full of food and drink, remembering the starving, skin-and-bone refugees, and shook his head helplessly.
After entering Storm City’s territory, patrol soldiers could be visibly seen, armed to the teeth.
Herag was soon stopped for the first time but passed through smoothly.
The Banks Family crest on the carriage served as an excellent identity proof, not to mention that Herag had two letters of introduction written by Count Hu En.
One letter was for Duke Theodore of Storm City and the other for the president of the Adventurers’ Association in Storm City.
Herag didn’t plan to find Duke Theodore; the letter was just to reduce potential trouble at critical moments.
His main objective was to find the Adventurers’ Association president and then find Robert to inquire about some matters.
After half a day of riding, Herag finally saw Storm City in the distance.
It was a city even grander than Markfield City, with taller and thicker walls.
Most importantly, the city had a sense of ruggedness and history, making one feel instantly like they could see the rich history in the walls.
"Where to first, sir?" Sid asked after passing the gate guard’s inspection.
"I heard from Hu En that your family has a base here?" Herag inquired.
Before coming, Hu En mentioned that Herag could settle at the Banks Family base in Storm City, at least to have a place to stay initially.
Sid nodded, "Yes, the family business has assets here."
Herag said, "Then let’s settle down first, and then head to the Adventurers’ Association."
"Alright!" Sid eagerly drove the carriage forward; he had been in a good mood since arriving in Storm City.
The Banks Family had a diverse business in Storm City, including taverns, casinos, inns, an herb shop, a blacksmith shop, and more.
The carriage stopped at a place called Banks Inn, and soon an inn attendant came out, leading the horses to the backyard for proper feeding.
Herag’s room was swiftly arranged; it was the largest and best room available.
"Do you know where the Adventurers’ Association is?" Herag asked after securing the room key.
Sid hastily answered, "Yes, I’ve often come to Storm City to handle business for the master and young master, so I’m very familiar with it."
"Good, you lead the way," Herag nodded.
The horse of the carriage had already been swapped for a strong, tall stallion.